Tack Tip Tuesday

What to Look for When Choosing a Girth

What to Look for When Choosing a Girth—and Why Elastic Matters More Than You Think If you've been riding for a while, you've probably owned a handful of girths without giving them much thought beyond "does it fit and does it stay done up." Fair enough. But girth technology has come a long way, and one of the most meaningful changes has been in how—and where—elastic is used. Here's what to know. The Old Standard: One-Sided Elastic For a long time, the standard girth had elastic on only one side—the near side, since that's the side we've traditionally mounted from and done most of our handling. Even that single strip of elastic was an improvement over a fully rigid leather girth. It gave the ribcage some room to expand, made girthing up a little less of a battle, and reduced some of the pressure a horse feels during work. It was better than nothing. But it wasn't the whole picture. Why Symmetry Matters We understand equine biomechanics a lot better now than we used to, and one thing that's become clear is that symmetry matters—a lot. A girth with elastic on only one side gives on one end and holds firm on the other. As your horse moves and breathes, that uneven give can create uneven pressure across the barrel. Over a long ride or a hard schooling session, that adds up. Think of it like wearing a bra strap that's adjusted too tight on one side. Technically it's still doing its job, but you're going to feel that imbalance before long. Your horse does too—he just can't tell you directly. The Case for Double Elastic Elastic on both ends of the girth allows the ribcage to expand evenly with every stride and every breath. The pressure stays consistent across the whole girth rather than being anchored on one side. For horses that are already a little girthy or sensitive through the back, this can make a noticeable difference in how they feel about being tacked up—and how they move once you're on. It's not a magic fix for every horse, but removing an unnecessary source of uneven pressure is always a good place to start. A Note on Over-Tightening Here's something that doesn't get talked about enough—elastic only works if you leave it room to do its job. If you tighten the girth to the point where the elastic is fully stretched with no give remaining, it stops functioning entirely. At that point you've essentially got a rigid girth, just with extra steps. Snug is the goal. You should be able to slide a couple of fingers under the girth comfortably, and when you stretch the elastic end by hand there should still be some rebound left in it. A correctly fitted elastic girth will be more comfortable than an over-tightened one every single time—for your horse and honestly for your tacking up routine too, since a horse that isn't being squeezed tends to be a lot more cooperative about standing still. What to Check on the Girth You Already Own Elastic doesn't last forever, and the tricky part is that it can fail without being obvious from the outside. A girth that looks perfectly fine can have elastic that's completely lost its give. Here's what to look for: Fraying along the edges of the elastic—any visible wear or separation is a sign it's breaking down Uneven stretch—pull each elastic end by hand and compare. It should feel the same on both sides, with clear give and a firm rebound The connection points—where the elastic meets the buckle hardware and the leather or synthetic body of the girth. This is where stress concentrates, so check that the stitching is intact and nothing is pulling away Dead elastic—if you stretch it and it feels stiff, flat, or just doesn't spring back the way it should, it's gone. The girth might look fine but it's not doing its job anymore When to Replace vs. Repair If the girth itself is in good shape but the elastic is worn, it's worth checking whether the elastic ends are replaceable. On some girths, they are, and a saddler can swap them out for a fraction of the cost of a new girth. If the leather or material is also showing significant wear, it's probably time to replace the whole thing. Not sure about yours? Bring it in and we'll take a look together. Always happy to talk tack.